Tensahedron Stand

[BillyBob58]

As a Locksmith, I would say do not use the door knob. I will pull it right off the spindle.

If you have to use a door, slip the strap through a partly open door on the hinge side and secure with your orange screw tube.
Then shut the door, using the tube to brace against the door and jamb. Check frequently for damage issues.

Don't use the opening side of the door like that as the latch would not like that much pressure.

I pulled the leg off of a 200 lb table. It took a couple of weeks to finally let go, but when it did, it was dramatic.
I missed the warning signs.

Thanks for that info! Very useful! I will avoid the door knob! don't have an orange screw/tube, but I'll find something else to use.

Well, folks, after a couple of hours of trying today, I gave up on the WB Ridge Runner. I never came close to being able to keep the spreader bars off of the legs. I started at 3.5 ft base spread, then reduced that to 3 ft exactly. I feel that longer legs might get it done, but mine are 8 ft 3" and I know some have succeeded with stock bars not much longer if at all. I bet my oher JRB bridges will work, as they are not near as long as the WBRR. But any step by step directions on how to st up the WBRR will be appreciated.

BTW, my attempt at a boom stake seems to be working. I added another one just to be safe, but I never could tell that the 1st boom stake, which in non boom form had pulled out on me 1st day, has moved even 1/4".

[cougarmeat]

In another thread, I believe someone was successful with a Tensa stand and RR by separating the legs where they cross at the base. So in a standard setup, the two sides (head and foot, not left and right) of the stand cross for a few inches down at their feet. Now image pulling the two V’s apart so instead of being attached and crossing down there, they are separated by a foot or so - two independent inverted V’s. they still each have a tether that keeps the legs of the V from spreading. And they still have the foot and head anchor, but now they also need a little something to keep those feet from sliding forward. I think there were suggestions of a tether from the feet ends back to the anchor for head of foot, or independent tether/anchor for each foot, or a short section of PVC pipe on the left and right sides that acts as a spacer between the head set and the foot set.

I believe the idea got some kind of Good Seal of Approval by those who know. Check around the DIY sub-forum.

[BillyBob58]

In another thread, I believe someone was successful with a Tensa stand and RR by separating the legs where they cross at the base. So in a standard setup, the two sides (head and foot, not left and right) of the stand cross for a few inches down at their feet. Now image pulling the two V’s apart so instead of being attached and crossing down there, they are separated by a foot or so - two independent inverted V’s. they still each have a tether that keeps the legs of the V from spreading. And they still have the foot and head anchor, but now they also need a little something to keep those feet from sliding forward. I think there were suggestions of a tether from the feet ends back to the anchor for head of foot, or independent tether/anchor for each foot, or a short section of PVC pipe on the left and right sides that acts as a spacer between the head set and the foot set.

I believe the idea got some kind of Good Seal of Approval by those who know. Check around the DIY sub-forum.

Thanks! I do remember that, and it seems like a good idea, I'll search for it. I'm glad it got the seal of approval, because I was wondering if altering the geometry that way would alter the strength. I have been using the stand with a gathered end without a head tether, just a counter weight of about 5 lbs, with no issues. So much so that I got careless- really just forgot all about it - and hopped up, must have shifted to the wrong side, and mouse trapped the stand. LOL! But with this alternative approach, I would have to rig up an anchor for the head end feet, to keep them from scooting on the smooth patio surface. Foot end stand feet could of course be tethered to the stakes I am already using. But, if connected by a PVC or metal bar, maybe that would keep the feet from scooting?

EDIT: found it:
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...Big-Guy-Bridge

https://www.tensaoutdoor.com/one-tree-two-hammocks/

[cougarmeat]

BillyBob58 - you’re a better searcher than me After posting the suggestion - and because I often have the thought when someone else references something - I thought, “If I’m going to mention it, why don’t I include the link.” But the few minutes I spent looking in Suspensions/DIY/WarBonnet forums were unsuccessful.

T’were it me, especially on smooth surface, I’d opt for PVC/wood/other spacers between the head/foot pair and NOT rely on anchors. Maybe it’s because I live on a lava field covered with about 6 inches of soil. Of course if the ground surface between the two sets was radically uneven, the straight edged spacer piece may not work so well. I don’t know how much forward scooting force, rather than downward force, is on those legs. If not so much, they could have a short tether (amsteel) tied to their own stake a little behind them.

It would be great to have some kind of a portable solution that would work with the RidgeRunner. That 13 ft distance between RR suspension apex connectors is a real, but not insurmountable, challenge.

[kirin]

[First post ever!]

This is a hybrid of the X Tensegrity stand and the Tensahedron. I started with the X Tensegrity, but I was struggling to get clearance above the cross pole. Not having all the various lines hooked up yet, I noticed that when I pushed down on the hammock, the cross pole would rise up almost to vertical. Then I realized that it can it can always stay *above* the hammock, so there's no issue. When nobody is there, it just rests on the ridgeline or a separate line I use to tension the X part across its top. Once significant weight is in the hammock, the crossbar rises up a bit and seems to float in a sort of counterintuitive way.

Anyway, all I needed was 3 x 10' long douglas fir 2x2" guys (about $16 each in my area) and maybe 70' of Amsteel. I did have to do a fair amount of splicing for the various lines, but I enjoy practicing the McDonald Brummel and making whoopie slings. I used two of those to connect the upper end of the cross bar so I could adjust how much the X part leans over, but actually having whoopies on one or more of the lines which secure the ends of the X to each other could save a lot of fiddling to get the lengths right.

I just drilled 1/2" holes near the ends and friction fit 1/2" diameter Aluminum rods which are 3" long. Those nicely hold all the loops and are crazy strong. I used Evo loops as a sort of soft shackle, but connecting the hammock end can be done many ways.

This design doesn't work well with a tarp, but it's fun and I just wanted to see if I could make a freestanding stand using tensegrity. As far as I can tell, this is a novel design, at least for hammocking.

One obvious next step would be to replace the weird floating cross bar with two running up to the upper corners of the X. Then it's just the tensahedron where one side has longer poles so it's not a "V" shape anymore, but rather an "X". That is the smallest possible change from the Tensahedron which allows it to be freestanding. Instead of a single line running across the ground, you now have a triangle because one side has two points of contact at the bottom of the X. Like the Tensahedron, you can now easily put a tarp on.

Either way, you will have to play with the various line lengths to get the height of the top of the X right and to make the distance between the ends at the top of the X also long enough. Pulling the bottom of the X closer together lengthens the span on the top. But it was a fun exercise and pretty cheap. Not sure how to make it where you could break it into smaller pieces while remaining strong enough, but food for thought and I hope it'll spark some creativity here. Please forgive the messy garage; I don't have much space to work in during the colder months...

PXL_20201201_015012925.jpg

PXL_20201201_021156481.jpg

PXL_20201201_021258493.jpg

[BillyBob58]

[First post ever!]

This is a hybrid of the X Tensegrity stand and the Tensahedron. I started with the X Tensegrity, but I was struggling to get clearance above the cross pole. Not having all the various lines hooked up yet, I noticed that when I pushed down on the hammock, the cross pole would rise up almost to vertical. Then I realized that it can it can always stay *above* the hammock, so there's no issue. When nobody is there, it just rests on the ridgeline or a separate line I use to tension the X part across its top. Once significant weight is in the hammock, the crossbar rises up a bit and seems to float in a sort of counterintuitive way.

Anyway, all I needed was 3 x 10' long douglas fir 2x2" guys (about $16 each in my area) and maybe 70' of Amsteel. I did have to do a fair amount of splicing for the various lines, but I enjoy practicing the McDonald Brummel and making whoopie slings. I used two of those to connect the upper end of the cross bar so I could adjust how much the X part leans over, but actually having whoopies on one or more of the lines which secure the ends of the X to each other could save a lot of fiddling to get the lengths right.

I just drilled 1/2" holes near the ends and friction fit 1/2" diameter Aluminum rods which are 3" long. Those nicely hold all the loops and are crazy strong. I used Evo loops as a sort of soft shackle, but connecting the hammock end can be done many ways.

This design doesn't work well with a tarp, but it's fun and I just wanted to see if I could make a freestanding stand using tensegrity. As far as I can tell, this is a novel design, at least for hammocking.

One obvious next step would be to replace the weird floating cross bar with two running up to the upper corners of the X. Then it's just the tensahedron where one side has longer poles so it's not a "V" shape anymore, but rather an "X". That is the smallest possible change from the Tensahedron which allows it to be freestanding. Instead of a single line running across the ground, you now have a triangle because one side has two points of contact at the bottom of the X. Like the Tensahedron, you can now easily put a tarp on.

Either way, you will have to play with the various line lengths to get the height of the top of the X right and to make the distance between the ends at the top of the X also long enough. Pulling the bottom of the X closer together lengthens the span on the top. But it was a fun exercise and pretty cheap. Not sure how to make it where you could break it into smaller pieces while remaining strong enough, but food for thought and I hope it'll spark some creativity here. Please forgive the messy garage; I don't have much space to work in during the colder months...

PXL_20201201_015012925.jpg

PXL_20201201_021156481.jpg

PXL_20201201_021258493.jpg

Nice going! Now there is a thought, just stay below the bars! I wonder if you would have room to fit spreader bars on a bridge hammock under those posts? I love the wood posts as well, there does not appear to be any flex when occupied. I must confess confusion on how that thing is working with 3 bars ( I guess I need to research X Tensegrity ), but it sure looks nice!

[CaptainGravity]

[First post ever!]

This is a hybrid of the X Tensegrity stand and the Tensahedron.
...

Awesomeness. Those two struts that look like they're touching are actually touching, right? And, if we count the hammock itself as a tendon, it looks like 4 of the 6 pole ends have three tendons attached. Only the ends of "cross pole" have two tendons each? Thanks.

[kirin]

You're right about how many connections in my design. The crossbar only needs two at each end, but the others have at least 3. I actually have 4 attachments on the top parts of the X because of how I set it up. I make the X on the ground with the 3 lines on bottom and sides, then attach a lightweight 4th line across the top using a trucker's hitch to tighten it up and make the X hold its shape. Then I add the crossbar to hold it up at an angle. Only when the stand is done do I attach the hammock. You could theoretically use the hammock to make the X, but it's hard to tension properly and you have to put the hammock on the ground unless you have multiple people.

The two struts in the X can separate if weight goes more toward one end or get pushed together if weight is toward the other end. Have to play with it, but ideal is to have them slightly separated when lying in the final position. You don't want to pin them together as it can force them to bend all the time. The struts in the X have a lot of compression from the hammock and the whoopie slings from the crossbar and the lines connecting down to the bottom of the X. They all add up in a non-ideal way. Preventing buckling is easiest if the struts are totally straight and that's easiest if they don't touch anything.

Because of both strength concerns and my desire to be able to add a tarp, I proposed the different design, replacing the long crossbar and whoopie slings with two shorter bars in a V reaching up from the same point on the ground to directly hold the ends of the X from toppling. As I mentioned, it's really just the tensahedron where you lengthen the two struts on one side so that it goes from a V to an X shape. You take the single line running across the bottom of the tensahedron and it needs to become a triangle, but now it's totally freestanding. And unlike my original design, you only need the 3 lines near the ground to assemble it (but you do have to attach the various struts to each other at their ends). Want to make this soon, but going to have to wait until the holidays.

One thing is it's better to have the X more upright and the V side less so. That pushes the hammock closer to the base of the X for more even pressure on the 3 points of contact with the ground. It also puts the hammocker over the wider part of the triangle on the ground for more stability head-to-toe. You're only limited in how vertical the X can be by not wanting to bump into its struts when lying diagonal. You'll get more or less a right angle at the top where the struts join, but a tarp will be asymmetric and come closer to the ground on the more upright X side. Just put that facing the wind for maximum protection. The stand only weighs around 15 pounds and is freestanding. So that's easy to do at any time and you can move it as conditions change...

[Latherdome]

As far as I can tell, this is a novel design, at least for hammocking.

I love it!


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[Jimswms]

There's no stupid question right?

How well does the stand fold up with a hammock attached? Can you release the tether(s), fold it in half and move it? Ideal spot for me is in my shop where I start work early some days. Last thing I want is hammock rigamarole before work, but if it was as simple as folding the whole contraption up and moving it out of the way, this could be a good solution for me. Anyone want to make a video?
Thanks